Cessna 180D accident near Oscoda, Michigan, July 24, 2011
On July 24, 2011 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180D, registered N6425X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Oscoda, Michigan (Oscoda-Wurtsmith airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to retract the landing gear before a water landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to use a checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2011 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oscoda, Michigan · Oscoda-Wurtsmith · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180D · all 180Ds on the register
- Registration
- N6425X · registry record · serial 18050925
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he landed the float-equipped airplane and it nosed over. He said that he had taken off from a paved runway earlier and forgot to retract the wheels for the water landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane and the accident could have been prevented if he had used the checklist.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 435 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 339 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,510 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 14, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSC Oscoda MI at 7:55 pm
- Destination: OSC Oscoda MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from OSC, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6425X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.